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When the first Sarku Japan location opened its doors more than 25 years ago, few people were conscious about the benefits of eating foods without trans fat, MSG, or Play-Doh. With strict standards that call for fresh ingredients and eschew potentially harmful unsaturated fats and additives, the chain has since expanded to more than 200 locations throughout the United States and South America.
The trick to the franchise's rapid success may lie in its ability to prepare traditional teppanyaki grilled seafood and meat without sacrificing nutrition and quality. Cooks prep everything made-to-order, using fresh vegetables and vegetable oil, even in their tempura breaded shrimp. Some locations feature a sushi bar, where chefs hand-roll sushi.

One of the more popular Japanese restaurants in Roseville, Osaka Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse delivers flavorsome sushi and tasty steak. It's an ideal choice for those interested in excellent food.
There's no specific recommended attire, so feel free to dress casually and comfortably.
If you just feel like stopping by for a beverage, the restaurant has helpful bar staff (and a good selection behind the bar).
A favorite for dinner, rolling over to Osaka Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse is definitely worthwhile. Don't worry about trying to find a spot on the street, as visitors to the restaurant do have access to a private parking lot nearby.

Behind the sushi bar at Suishin Restaurant, chefs prepare hand rolls from a menu of more than 50 different kinds of sushi for onlookers, positioning each piece of sushi and sashimi in artistic displays inside a glass case. At dark-wood tables with leather chairs, sprays of steam blossom from pots of broth, in which crab meat, beef, and vegetables cook. The communal style of eating fuels chatter, which floats past a full bar with purple lighting and sand-hued brick walls. The modern decor complements sleek bento boxes, whose compartments brim with sushi and shrimp tempura. On an outdoor patio, chopsticks click together with the sound of a tap dancer having a pleasant dream, pulling noodles from bowls of ramen-noodle soup.

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A tangle of noodles, heady broth, tender strips of pork belly—these are some of the staples of Japanese ramen. And it’s definitely not the ramen you ate in college.
For starters, like other Japanese cuisine, authentic ramen is both a culinary and aesthetic endeavor.
“Ramen is a newer art form than sushi or soba or tempura,” said Chef Shin Thompson of Chicago’s Furious Spoon. “Those art forms have been around for hundreds of years, so people can say, ‘This is what’s good.’ With ramen, that’s not the case.”
That attention to aesthetics can be found throughout the dish. And with options that go beyond chicken, beef, and spicy chicken, choosing components for a bowl of ramen can be a dizzying experience. We’ll break them down for you.
The BrothThat stuff you had in college? Savory Kool-Aid. Authentic ramen’s broth is far more flavorful. The most common ramen broth is tonkotsu, whose rich, creamy texture is made by steeping pork bones until their marrow is extracted. More modern takes on broth include chicken- and veggie-based versions.The SeasoningRamen bowls can be made with unseasoned tonkotsu, or chefs can change things up with tare, which Shin translated as “flavoring.” Shoyu flavoring uses a soy-sauce base, whereas a richer, darker miso-based broth creates a heartier bowl. The lightest flavoring is sea-salt-based shio. The Noodles“I prefer my noodles to have more of a bite,” Shin said. And he’s not alone. Good noodles turn to mush minutes after they’re added to the broth, so you won’t find ramen bowls for takeout at serious ramen shops. That’s also why slurping is a sign of appreciation—you’re eating that bowl quickly to enjoy it at its best. The Fat“This is what most Americans aren’t too familiar with,” Shin said. Chefs add fat to ramen broth so it sticks to the noodles. Lard is most commonly used, as is the case at Furious Spoon, with the exception of its veggie broth, which opts for garlic oil.
The ToppingsToppings are never carelessly thrown into a bowl of ramen. Rather, chefs meticulously arrange them, paying particular attention to the interplay of texture, flavor, and aesthetics. Chashu, thin-sliced braised pork belly, provides the dish with a tender, buttery texture. Fermented bamboo, or menma, and pickled mushrooms add a refreshing zing. Bean sprouts, green onions, and red cabbage lend the meal its crunch and color. Other common toppings include deep-green strips of nori, poached egg, and the pink-and-white swirl of naruto, or fish cake.
These ingredients are the foundation of ramen bowls, but it’s chefs’ special touches that make the bowls unique. For example, Furious Spoon uses the machine Chef Shin transported from Osaka, Japan, to make its noodles each day. In addition, the chef heats up his signature bowl of ramen with a fiery blend of habaneros and chilies he’s dubbed Fury Sauce.
But he still sticks to tradition in many ways, whether it’s the chopsticks sitting at every table or his cardinal rule: never pack a bowl to go. You’ll have to slurp it down right then and there. Photos by Andrew Nawrocki, GrouponTake a look at these guides to improve your Japanese dining experience:Six Rules for Sipping Sake
John Gauntner literally wrote the book on sake. He gave us six tips that highlight just how versatile the fermented rice drink can be—just don't bring it to a barbecue.Edible Seaweed Would Prefer to be Called Sea VegetablesA California seaweed harvester discusses seven varieties of the edible, hidden oceanic treasure.

Certain foods—red velvet cake, rich brownies, and gooey pizzas—taste deliciously sinful. But while those dishes might leave you wanting to visit a confessional (or at least eat a salad for breakfast), others could actually get you in trouble with the law. What makes an illegal food? Sometimes it’s the toxicity of the ingredients; other times it’s a controversial method of preparation. Here’s a list of eight illegal foods that you should avoid if you want to keep your record clean. Kinder Surprise EggsWhat is it? Kids adore these chocolate eggs, which are primarily sold in Europe, because there’s a toy hidden inside. What’s more, they’re available year-round, not just at Easter. Why is it illegal? Because of safety concerns, the US has banned any food that has something inedible embedded within it. And don’t try bringing a Kinder Egg home from your next trip overseas—if customs catches you with these in your bag, they’ll be confiscated.AckeeWhat is it? The national fruit of Jamaica.How is it prepared? It’s traditionally boiled and sautéed with salted cod, onions, and hot peppers.Why is it illegal? Like fugu, this fruit is fatal if isn’t prepped correctly. An underripe ackee can cause coma or death. And even when it is ripe, one must be careful to only eat the yellow parts—definitely not the seeds—or risk what’s known as Jamaican vomiting sickness. While fresh ackee is banned in the US, canned or frozen ackee is acceptable as it’s usually toxin-free. AbsintheWhat is it? A potent spirit made from wormwood, much beloved by artists and adventurers alike for its supposedly hallucinogenic qualities. How is it prepared? Historically, absinthe was poured into a tiny glass that has a slotted spoon and a sugar cube balanced on top. The sugar cube is lit on fire until it melts into the spirit, giving it that opaque green glow.Why is it illegal? The psychoactive nature of the spirit has been debunked, but full Euro-strength absinthe is still unavailable in the US. The American version must have little to no thujone—the “trippy” compound found in wormwood that was said to cause the hallucinations.HaggisWhat is it? A savory organ pudding and the ultimate Scottish comfort food.
How is it prepared? Sheep heart, liver, and lungs are minced with spices, then encased in a sheep stomach and boiled. It’s typically served with mashed potatoes and rutabaga.Why is it illegal? Since 1971, the US has banned food containing the lung of any animal due to sanitary issues; any American-made haggis omits the lung. FuguWhat is it? The Japanese pufferfish.
How is it prepared? Carefully. The flesh of this delicate fish is extremely light and porous and usually sliced ultra-thin.Why is it illegal? Preparation of fugu without proper certification in almost any country, including Japan and the US, is illegal. One false move, and chefs could be serving their customers poison instead of a delicacy. Five people die per year from eating improperly cooked fugu, and the death isn’t pretty: paralysis comes on slowly, starting in the lips and fingers and spreading through the entire body, including the respiratory system, while the mind remains conscious the whole time.Foie GrasWhat is it? A spread made from duck or goose liver.
How is it prepared? A classic French dish that can also be turned into a mousse or pâté, it’s often served as a spread with bread or alongside another food item, such as steak.Why is it illegal? The controversy stems from the way the bird is force-fed corn to fatten it up and give its liver that signature rich, buttery flavor. Once illegal in Chicago, its legality in California is still up in the air, with an overturned ban being appealed by the state. Shark-Fin SoupWhat is it? This Chinese soup is made with real shark fins. Considered a delicacy by both commoners and royalty, it dates all the way back to the Ming dynasty. Some variations, such as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, also incorporate sea cucumbers, quail eggs, and other ingredients. How is it prepared? The shark fins are trimmed, then boiled with stock and seasonings.
Why is it illegal? Unscrupulous fishermen remove the shark’s fin and throw the animal back into the ocean to die. Because this practice is considered inhumane and has contributed to the diminishing numbers of sharks, shark fins are banned in eight states, including California. OrtolanWhat is it? The ortolan bunting is a tiny, palm-sized songbird found in the warmer regions of Europe.How is it prepared? Chefs marinate the bird in Armagnac, a French brandy, before roasting them. Then the bird is eaten whole, feet first. The dish is highly coveted, and Anthony Bourdain describes trying it in his book Medium Raw with equal parts gore and reverie: “With every bite, as the thin bones and layers of fat, meat, skin, and organs compact in on themselves, there are sublime dribbles of varied and wondrous ancient flavors: figs, Armagnac, dark flesh slightly infused with the salty taste of my own blood.”Why is it illegal? Once an ortolan is caught, the next step is to fatten it up. To trick it into thinking it’s nighttime (when ortolans eat), the chef keeps it in a black box, then force-feeds it to engorgement. And that’s not even the worst part: the bird is still breathing when it’s plunged into the Armagnac marinade. Traditionally, diners wear a napkin over their heads when they eat this dish, possibly in an effort to hide their sin from God. Couple this grisly practice with the ortolan’s “rare species” status, and it’s no wonder that France has made it illegal to serve the bird since 1999.Photos: Poached Moulard Duck Foie Gras Au Torchon with Pickled Pear by Luigi Anzivino under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; Ortolan Bunting; Emberiza hortulana by Vitalii Khustochka under CC BY 2.0; Forbidden herbs by Peter Thoeny under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; Pufferfish by Aaron under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; Haggis and a Caledonian Great Scott IMG_1488 by Carol under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; Kinder Surprise Eggs by y6y6y6 under CC BY 2.0; Ackees by kaiton under CC BY-SA 2.0; shark-fin soup by Harmon under CC BY-SA 2.0;
Foie gras by cyclonebill under CC BY-SA 2.0Check out these other unusual (but not illicit) dishes from around the world:Could Filipino Food Be the Next Thai Food? The Answer May Lie Inside an Egg.Hungover? Try These International Remedies

Japan’s most famous alcoholic beverage might seem tough. Confusion over sake alcohol content reigns. It’s easy to imagine a “sake bomb” leaving your sushi dinner a pile of smoking rubble—and diners in even worse shape. But like a rugged samurai who writes love poems on his nights off, sake has a gentle heart.
This gentleness, or approachability, is something sake experts wish more Americans could understand. One such expert is John Gauntner, the only non-Japanese person to become certified both as a sake expert assessor and a master of sake tasting. The author of several well-respected books on sake, Gauntner has made a career out of teaching others about sake’s nuances, which he said often go unappreciated because of sake’s reputation as a strong liquor.
“A lot of people think it’s a distilled spirit, or that it’s harsh,” he told me on a slightly crackly Skype call from Tokyo, where he spends part of the year. “But it’s only 16% alcohol, which is only 3% more than a robust red wine.”
As president of the the Sake Education Council, Gauntner shares this and other knowledge in the sake certification seminars he teaches for industry professionals four to five times a year. (He also recently launched a quarterly magazine, Sake Today.) But you don’t need intense study to start pairing sips with your next sushi boat.
Below are a few tips that Gauntner says will help even the greenest newbie “immediately enjoy their sake experience.”
Pick a bottle based on budget.
“One of the wonderful things about sake is there aren’t really scores or things that affect sales. Basically, the more you pay, the better the sake is going to be. Now, certainly personal preferences come into play. For example, if there was a really expensive sweet sake, but you like dry sake better, you’re better off going with a less expensive dry sake. But if you don’t know very much about what’s in front of you, make a decision on price, based on budget. About 90% of the time, sake is going to be fairly priced.”
Look for the magic word: ginjo.
“If you drink sake with the word ginjo somewhere on the label, you’re drinking the top 10% of all sake. Drink ginjo and you’re sure to be drinking good stuff. The term legally means that the rice had to have been milled to a particular degree before you brewed the sake. What that does is it removes fat and protein and leads to a cleaner fermentation and a lighter, more elegant, more refined sake.”
Chill it to bring out flavor.
“The way they brew ginjo, it has a lot of aromas and flavors that are best brought out when the drink is slightly chilled. Warming that will bludgeon out of existence what those brewers worked so hard to create. So almost all the time, you’re going to want to drink your ginjo slightly chilled.”
Pair it with just about any food …
“Fish is definitely a shoo-in, as are vegetable dishes. [But] to me, sake is so food-friendly that it’s difficult to say anything doesn’t go with it. Sake’s got no tannins and rarely does it have excessive acidity. And excessive tannins and excessive acidity are two of the problems you have with wine. … Even lightly grilled meats, if the sauces aren’t too intense, go well with some styles of sake. There’s a particular type of production method called yamahai that leads to a particularly gamy sake, and that’s always a wonderful pairing for meat dishes.”
… except maybe barbecue.
“Sake really rarely clashes with anything, but it can be overpowered by something. You want to avoid stronger dishes, like really spicy things like Indian or Thai food. A big, sloppy barbecue [dish] probably would not go well with sake either. But once you remove those obvious mismatches, you’ve got a wide range of things.”
Pay attention to subtle flavors.
“Sake has much more [diversity] than most people conceive of. But it’s like all things Japanese. If you look at sashimi it’s like, come on, it’s raw fish. But no, each one has subtly different flavors, the way you cut it makes a difference. There aren’t huge, bold, two-by-four-upside-the-head flavors with Japanese food. But if you take the time to discern them, they’re very, very different. They’re very, very interesting. And sake’s probably along those same lines.”
View our guides to other elements of Japanese cuisine:
Japanese Whisky: A Beginner’s Guide
Sushi: A Beginner’s Video Guide
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